Chapter 381 Displaying the Dowry

Chapter 381: Displaying the Dowry

Song Tingzhou had never been one to be lazy or idle, nor one to steal moments of leisure. His self-discipline was remarkable—from the very beginning of his studies as a child to his current position as a second-rank official, he had always been diligent, never daring to waste a single moment.

Yet on the second day after returning from the examination hall, this newly prominent court official rarely indulged in sleeping in.

When Meng Wan opened his eyes, the warmth behind him remained unchanged. The morning chill was heavy, and the under-floor heating and brazier had been removed from the house. When Song Tingzhou had been away, Meng Wan would wake to a bed full of cold air—how could that compare to having his husband warming the bed for him now?

He nestled deeper into Song Tingzhou's broad embrace, turning around within the cocoon of blankets, and came face to face with a handsome sleeping visage.

Thick dark brows carried a sharp, decisive quality; his closed eyes had lashes that were not overly long but exceptionally dense, like a fine black line. His nose was high and straight, his lip line clear and distinct, his complexion fair—a face that was classically handsome and upright.

The beard on his chin had been shaved clean the night before, but a fresh layer of dark stubble had already sprouted. Meng Wan idly reached out to touch his jaw. Perhaps it tickled him, for Song Tingzhou stirred slightly, instinctively drawing the person in his arms closer, yet not waking.

Perhaps it was the days of relentless busyness and mental exhaustion that made him sleep so deeply now.

Meng Wan withdrew his hand and simply gazed at him. His heart beat rapidly in his chest a few times, then slowed, thumping steadily against his ribs. Not only was his body warm, but his chest felt warm and snug too.

From outside the window came a few crisp bird calls—likely the swallows that had flown south last year, returning to the north where all things were reviving.

After a while longer, hushed voices came from the corridor outside.

"Haven't the master and his husband risen yet?"

"Not yet, not a sound from inside. Why? Has the Ge family sent someone?"

"Not yet, but soon. The old madam and the eldest young master are both here, and everything at home is prepared. The old madam just sent Sister Wei Ying to pass word—she said we needn't wake the husband. The master has been weary for a long time; let them rest."

That was what was said, but such an important occasion couldn't be treated with the slightest negligence. Meng Wan sat up in bed.

His movements were slight, but they still roused Song Tingzhou.

"Wan'er, what time is it?" His voice was hoarse and low with lingering sleep.

Meng Wan leaned down and kissed him. "The sun has been up for a while now. I'd say it's nearly the hour of Si."

Song Tingzhou opened his eyes and rose with him. "We're late today—it's already this late?"

Meng Wan first called for Zhifan and Zhimao outside to prepare the washing supplies, then found a set of casual robes for Song Tingzhou to wear at home. "Not late at all. With all of A Xun's dowry, the procession will take at least an hour to get here."

That was what he said, but after the two finished washing and dressing, they hurried to the front gate without even eating.

Chu Ci, as tomorrow's groom, couldn't yet meet the bride's family, so he remained in his own courtyard. Chang Jinhua was waiting at the gate with A Yan and Tong'er, while Gui Qian and Gui Cheng had the household servants line up in two rows.

An incense altar had been set up before the main gate. Chang Jinhua, dressed in a festive purple over-jacket, waited outside. Seeing Song Tingzhou emerge with Meng Wan, she smiled and said, "I haven't heard the gongs yet—they probably haven't reached this end of the street."

No sooner had she spoken than Chi Yu came darting in from the alley entrance. "The dowry procession is about to reach our street!"

Sure enough, within moments, three gong strikes echoed faintly down the street. Then came the sound of horse hooves, wagon wheels, and somewhat uneven footsteps—a jumble of noises growing steadily closer. First came the two gong bearers, followed by the piercing sound of suona horns and the thunder of drums, festive tunes instantly filling the entire alley.

Four servants holding up placards reading "Ge Family Dowry" and "A Hundred Years of Harmony" appeared next, the characters embroidered in gold thread, looking magnificent and imposing.

Behind them rode several young men on horseback—none other than Na Tuo and the rest of the group who had remained near the capital, with Yu Yandong among them too. Also present were several brocade guards under Ge Quan's command, dressed in their blue-green official uniforms to add prestige for A Xun.

The porters, dressed in neat, clean short jackets, carried dowry items both light and heavy in a long procession that stretched as far as the eye could see, all of it carefully put together by Meng Wan.

The procession came to a halt before the Song family gate. Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan led the household out to greet them, and Na Tuo and the brocade guards quickly dismounted to pay their respects.

"Thanks for all your hard work—please, come in and have some hot tea."

Song Tingzhou first led the guests into the front hall to receive them. Then Nanny Jin, carrying the "Dowry Inventory" from the procession, stepped forward and presented the document. "Young Master, this is our young master's dowry list."

Every single item on it had been personally picked out by Meng Wan. Of course he knew what was inside, but the dowry display ceremony was required by law, and the proper steps had to be followed.

Meng Wan didn't take the dowry list. Instead, he raised his hand and called Huang Ye over. "Ye Ge'er, personally verify everything. Once you've confirmed it's all correct, then have me sign and seal."

A ledger table had been set up in the entryway, and Huang Ye sat down with the dowry list to begin checking the accounts.

Gui Cheng had a booming voice and was the one announcing the gifts today: "Auspicious hour for sending the dowry, presented to the Song family—first, fields and properties, now to be checked and verified!"

Huang Ye looked at the first line of the dowry list and read aloud: "Ten mu of paddy fields in Guyang County, ten mu of dry fields, boundaries clearly marked—any verification?"

Quite a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the Song family gate—street peddlers, servants sent from other households. After all, Song Tingzhou was a man on the rise, and though his adopted son couldn't speak, many lesser families had been watching. That he was getting married so suddenly had caught them off guard, and they naturally wanted to see what sort of family he was marrying into, especially since his biological son was already eight.

Apart from the open space left for the dowry procession, both sides of the street were packed. Everyone had been eagerly watching the display of riches, but when Huang Ye's first line rang out, silence fell all around. The anticipation in their eyes turned to shock, and for a long moment, no one could snap out of it. Finally, someone spoke with a smirk—

"Is that all? Even if he's a distant relative of the Ge family, this is awfully shabby, isn't it? Didn't the Ge family contribute anything to the dowry?"

No sooner had he spoken than others chimed in.

"I'd say the Ge family is pretty hard up themselves—they barely have any servants. Where would they find the money to contribute to a distant nephew's dowry?"

"Even if they're poor, they should at least put on a show. Marrying him off like this makes the Song family look bad too!"

"Didn't I hear that Meng Fulang himself provided many of the new husband's dowry items?"

"Not only that—the Song family gave tens of thousands in silver as betrothal gifts, all for the new husband. That alone would buy a hundred mu and then some—even a thousand mu wouldn't be a problem. How could he only be married off with twenty mu of land? How miserly!"

Gui Qian and his servants glanced toward the crowd and spotted a servant from some other household doing the talking. He let out a cold laugh, noted the man's face, and ignored the skeptical voices. Taking the land deed Nanny Jin handed over, he replied to Huang Ye: "Received and verified!"

Huang Ye didn't even look up. After verifying, he continued: "One three-courtyard residence on Lanxiang Lane, one shop on Lanxiang Street, one shop on Lancui Street, one Spring Peach Manor on the outskirts of the capital—any verification?"

Several sharp intakes of breath were heard. Gui Qian calmly went through the deeds one by one and said, "Received and verified!"

"Twenty thousand taels of silver, one hundred taels of gold—any verification?"

"Received and verified!"

"One set of gold-inlaid kingfisher hair ornaments, one set of jade-wrapped silk hair ornaments, one set of pearl-flower hair ornaments, one set of ruby-and-gold hair ornaments—any verification?"

"Received and verified!"

The gasps grew louder, echoing from the alley entrance one after another.

"Eight pairs of Hetian jade bracelets, eight pairs of gold-woven gem-set bracelets, eight red coral bead bracelets, eight tourmaline tassel necklaces, one pair of white-green jade carved thumb rings, one pair of sapphire gold thumb rings, one jade longevity lock necklace—any verification?"

"Received and verified!"

"Eight bolts each of silk, gauze, brocade, and satin, twenty sets of seasonal clothing... official kiln porcelain..."

"Received and verified!"

The onlookers were speechless.

They were stunned. Land? Ha! A single set of hair ornaments was enough to keep them from ever having to work the fields again! And they'd had the nerve to laugh at this family?

One by one, the dowry items were verified and carried into the new house in the eastern courtyard. Fortunately, they had later used Nie Zhiyao's connections to have his craftsmen expand the eastern courtyard, or there would have been no way to fit it all.

Much of the porcelain and fabric simply couldn't fit, so it was moved to the main courtyard's storeroom. The gold, silver, jewelry, land deeds, and clothing were all kept in the eastern courtyard, where Nanny Jin oversaw the organization.

Huang Ye verified the dowry list without error, then stamped the Song family's accounting seal beneath the Ge family seal at the bottom corner. After handing it to Meng Wan, Meng Wan stamped the Song family seal beside the Ge family seal. All of this was done in front of relatives and friends from both sides.

The "Dowry Register" was made in duplicate—one copy was reviewed by Song Tingzhou and stored in the family archives, while the other was kept by Nanny Jin to be given to A Xun tomorrow. Additionally, before sending the list, the Ge family had kept their own copy of the "Dowry Register" without the Song family seal.

After the handover, since it was inconvenient to host a banquet that day, the Ge family members withdrew, leaving Nanny Jin as the accompanying dowry matron, along with two young attendants previously assigned to A Xun by Meng Wan—Da Qing and Xiao Qing.

These three, as part of today's dowry escort, were to remain at the new residence to organize A Xun's clothing and belongings, and did not need to return to the Ge family.

Bie Zhi, accustomed to living in the courtyard with Chu Ci, found the addition of three more people rather unfamiliar. As the only servant boy in the courtyard, he bustled about helping them move heavy items and store trunks and cases.

The snow wolf caught the scent of strangers in the courtyard and let out a few warning growls. Chu Ci gently patted its head, signaling it not to be fierce toward others.

The snow wolf lay at his feet looking wronged, its massive, calf-sized body sprawled out in a patch of white, loose fur drifting up and down like dandelion seeds, coating the courtyard apricot tree's new buds in a layer of white fuzz.

Chu Ci smiled warmly, rubbed its drooping ears to soothe it, then looked up at the transformed courtyard. Thinking that in just one more day he would bring A Xun here to live with him, a deep blush spread across his face, reaching down to his neck.

——

That day, the household made do with simple meals. The chefs hired from the restaurant had arrived, and many elaborate dishes needed to be prepared in advance, so all the kitchens in the Song residence were occupied.

Meng Wan, not caring how he looked, held a bowl of noodles and stood in the open space of the main courtyard, watching servants set up tables and chairs in the main hall, side halls, and corridors.

On the east side of the main courtyard, a stage was being erected, with banging and clanging going on all day. A Yan and Tong'er were having a blast, and Chang Jinhua also came over to check out the commotion.

Everything that needed prepping had been done well in advance, and Huang Ye was handling the remaining details. That night, the whole family stayed up, gathering in Chang Jinhua's room to stay up all night playing cards with Chu Ci.

Chang Jinhua's room now had a few potted plants that wouldn't fit outside, along with some extra pastries and fruits.

Meng Wan picked up a slice of Yunpian cake to nibble on, leaning over to teach Chang Jinhua how to read the cards.

Tong'er had been taken home by Old Ge and would return tomorrow with the wedding procession. A Yan sat at the seat below Chang Jinhua, boldly sneaking peeks at both her and Chu Ci's cards, only to be bonked on the head by Meng Wan.

Chu Ci was distracted that night, and with A Yan cheating, he didn't win a single round—even though Song Tingzhou deliberately fed cards to him and Chang Jinhua.

A Yan had won so many silver ingots that two pouches were stuffed full, and he fell asleep leaning against Chang Jinhua without letting go.

Song Tingzhou stood up, picked him up, carried him to the bed, and tucked him in. Later in the night, Chang Jinhua and Meng Wan also dozed off.

Only Song Tingzhou and Chu Ci were left, father and son, sitting across from each other at the table.

Unlike Meng Wan, Song Tingzhou was usually quiet at home, not good at comforting or lecturing, but Chu Ci never felt stiff around him.

Song Tingzhou took a sip of the hot tea Chu Ci had poured for him, looked at the quiet young man across from him, and said: "Tomorrow you will start a family. Remember the responsibility on your shoulders—learn to bear the weight of a household and protect your husband. Between husbands, honesty and tolerance matter most. Talk things over often, and don't be stubborn."

Chu Ci listened with his eyes lowered, his fingertips tightening slightly. The shadow of his outstretched fingers loomed large on the wall in the candlelight, full of determination and sincerity. "Father, your son has taken this to heart."

Song Tingzhou's voice was gentle, carrying a warm kindness: "Without detachment, you can't clarify your goals; without peace, you can't go far. You have been sensible since childhood, intelligent, with your own thoughts and goals. Your father and I know this. After marriage, go forth and do as you wish—we both support you."

Chu Ci looked up at Song Tingzhou, his eyes holding the unique clarity and resolve of youth. As the shadows on the wall shifted, Chu Ci spoke at a measured pace: "Your son will be a good husband and protect our family."

Song Tingzhou looked at Chu Ci and suddenly reached out to ruffle his hair. In recent years, as Chu Ci had grown, he had become increasingly composed, and Song Tingzhou hadn't given him such an affectionate head pat in a long time. This might be the last time—after this, the boy would have his own path to walk.

Chu Ci had spent eight years in the Song family, from initially forming a mutually beneficial alliance with Meng Wan, cautiously wary of each other, to being brought back to the Song household to live together—eight years had passed in the blink of an eye.

He was twenty now, and there would be many more eight-year spans ahead. But for that mute young Daoist, those years were the happiest time he had ever experienced since birth.

The night deepened, and moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Father and son sat quietly facing each other, the air filled with a silent expectation and solemnity.

Until a hint of pale dawn appeared on the horizon, and the first rays of morning light pierced the darkness, heralding the arrival of a new day—the most important day of Chu Ci's life.